[tor-bugs] #31314 [Core Tor/Tor]: Modify git-merge-forward.sh so it can create test merge branches

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#31314: Modify git-merge-forward.sh so it can create test merge branches
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
 Reporter:  teor                                 |          Owner:  teor
     Type:  enhancement                          |         Status:
                                                 |  needs_review
 Priority:  Medium                               |      Milestone:  Tor:
                                                 |  0.4.2.x-final
Component:  Core Tor/Tor                         |        Version:
 Severity:  Normal                               |     Resolution:
 Keywords:  git-scripts, network-team-roadmap-   |  Actual Points:  0.8
  october                                        |
Parent ID:  #31178                               |         Points:  1
 Reviewer:  asn                                  |        Sponsor:
                                                 |  Sponsor31-must
-------------------------------------------------+-------------------------
Changes (by teor):

 * status:  needs_revision => needs_review


Comment:

 Replying to [comment:11 asn]:
 > Hmm, I'm missing some context on what this feature is for and who is
 supposed to use it and for which use case. That'd help me with review and
 testing here.

 * anyone who writes a code that is backported
 * anyone who merged backports (including alpha backports)

 > Also should there be some documentation of how this test branch feature
 should work? I see some comments about "test branch mode" in git-merge-
 forward.sh but I don't quite understand how it works. The "test branch
 example" section seems useful, but it would be nice to have it in words
 too.

 The script generates creates new branches using the commits that are
 currently checked out in each worktree, and then merged the worktree
 forward into those branches.

 Basically, you get the same merges as the standard merge forward script.
 But the merge forward creates new branches, instead of modifying maint-*
 and master.

 > Finally, any ideas on how to test this? I feel more confident testing a
 shell script than just reading shell code.

 Make a change to your maint-0.2.9 worktree, commit it, then run the script
 with "-t test_branch". Make source you have a bunch of new branches
 test_branch_029,035,…,master that are merged forward correctly.

 > Marking as needs_revision so that the above questions get answered to
 some capacity.

 Once you're happy with the answers I can add some more docs to the script.

--
Ticket URL: <https://trac.torproject.org/projects/tor/ticket/31314#comment:12>
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